Wargaming Europe has released a new video on the history of the Swedish Strv-103 “S-Tank.”
AFV News from around the Net
December 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It’s time for another installment of AFV News from around the Net. Click on the headline to read the full article.
Globes – India eyes Israeli tank, APC systems
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presentatives of over 20 Israeli companies involved in the development and production program for the Merkava tank and Namer armored personnel carrier today finished the first seminar ever conducted in India. Dozens of Indian companies attended the seminar. The Ministry of Defense SIBAT – Ministry of Defense International Defense Cooperation Authority sponsored the seminar, in view of the emerging needs of Indian industry in order to prepare for the large-scale procurement of armored vehicles by the Indian army expected in the coming years.
The National Interest – India Took 35 Years to Make Its First Tank (And It Was a Total Disaster)
The inability of DRDO to put its foot down and admit that it could not build the tank on time and on schedule doomed the tank. India’s state of the military art was such that a new tank would out of necessity face a prolonged development time. The more the tank project dragged on, the more the tank needed to be redesigned to incorporate new technologies. The tank was trapped for decades in a development death spiral, and the end product is correspondingly mediocre.
Chron – DriveTanks in Uvalde lets military buffs step inside real tanks, use real artillery
If you have a few grand to blow through and want to make a really, really big bang then you might want to look into DriveTanks, located at the Ox Ranch in Uvalde, Texas. The sprawling ranch bills itself as the only place in the world to drive and shoot fully functional tanks and major artillery without having to actually enlist in the military or join some sort of militia. DriveTanks calls itself a living military museum. Whereas other places will let you look at weapons of war behind glass or a velvet rope, DriveTanks offers a first-hand experience that you might still feel the next day.
The Columbus Telegram – Scout thanks veterans through tank project
Chase Paczosa knew he wanted to thank veterans through his Eagle Scout project. Their service and sacrifices are what allow him to participate in Boy Scouts, an organization he joined about seven years ago. “I wanted to help the veterans, do something for the veterans,” said Paczosa, a member of Troop 212 in Columbus. He just didn’t know exactly what that gesture would be. Initially, the 14-year-old Columbus Middle School student had a plan to raise money for an all-terrain wheelchair that would be donated to a local veteran. The chairs, which have tracks instead of wheels, make it easier for those with physical disabilities to participate in outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.
7 WDAM – Hattiesburg man tells military history through tank preservation
CAMP SHELBY, MS (WDAM) – One Hattiesburg man is helping to tell Mississippi’s military history through the history of the tank. Glenn Husted is the collections manager at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby. He’s also an Army veteran and tank expert, who’s led conservation efforts on several historic vehicles at the museum. His pride and joy is a one-of-a-kind tank from 1936. It’s an M2A2 light tank that was donated to Camp Shelby in 1977. The museum is the only place where the tank can be seen.
Photo of the Day: Canadian Sherman Tanks
December 2, 2016 by 4 Comments
This POTD is of two Canadian Sherman tanks in the Netherlands during the final year of WWII. This is a somewhat unusual pairing in that one is a Firefly and the other is a 105mm howitzer equipped Sherman. The crews of both tanks seem to have fully committed to the idea of spare tracks as effective add-on armor. The Firefly crew has gone so far as to attach what looks like track from a Panzer IV on their turret. All in all, a very cool photo.
Edit: A reader named “Whelmy” has pointed out that the Canadian “dry pin” track looks very similar to German style track and could very well be the track around the Firefly turret. As far as we can tell, the Canadian dry pin track (CDP) was not generally used as track on Canadian Sherman tanks, but was used on Canadian vehicles based on the Grizzly (a Canadian version of the Sherman) such as the Sexton SPG. CDP was not interchangeable with American style track since it had a narrower pitch, which required a 17 teeth drive sprocket.
Armed Forces History Museum in Largo, FL to close in January
December 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
News Channel 8 (Tampa) is reporting that the Armed Forces History Museum in Largo FL will be closing in January. This museum houses a number of armored vehicles, including a M5 Stuart, M24 Chaffee (although this vehicle may not be there anymore), a M47 and a rather odd M4 Sherman. We call the Sherman tank odd for two reasons. First, it’s a small hatch hull with a 76mm gun turret, a combination we don’t think was ever actually used, and even more strange, it has an experimental postwar commanders cupola. To view a large photo gallery of the items on display at the Armed Forces History Museum, check out this photo gallery by Paul Hannah. For more information on the rather unusual commanders cupola on the Sherman tank, check out this thread from the AFV News Discussion Thread.
LARGO, Fla. (WFLA) – A popular Largo attraction will soon close because of financial problems.
The Armed Forces History Museum, which opened in August of 2008, will close at the end of the day on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017.
The museum has been operating in the red since it opened, according to an announcement about the upcoming closure.
Its location may have impacted attendance. Museum operators described its location as “challenging” because it can not been seen from the road. The museum is located inside a warehouse in an industrial park off Ulmerton Road, which is not a likely tourist destination.
The museum was founded by the late John J. Piazza, Sr. who had collected military memorabilia for 55 years.
The Piazza family estate, along with the museum’s board of directors, are currently in discussions regarding the future of the museum’s collections. While the closure of the facility is two months away, the options of the museum becoming acquired by another organization or the government are still being investigated. All opportunities are being considered, according to the museum’s operators.
“We’re hoping this is our Hail Mary pass. Is there somebody out there that’s going to stand up and say, ‘No way, this can’t happen, just on behalf of the veterans. This just can’t happen’,” said Cindy Dion, who is the Armed Forces History Museum Assistant Executive Director.
A final day event is being organized to show gratitude and to acknowledge the general public, who have been fiercely loyal to the museum, according to its operators.
The Armed Forces History Museum is located at 2050 34th Way N. in Largo, (727) 539-8371.
The Matilda Diaries Part 8
December 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Tank Museum presents part 8 of their video series showing the restoration of their Matilda tank. Here Bob Darwood explains what is involved in re-assembling the road wheels into the bogies.
Tank and AFV News 